Wheeler's rain watch

THE eyes will be on the heavens in the John Wheeler camp this morning.

While a downpour will suit the New Zealand trainer's Grand Annual Steeplechase entrant Real Tonic perfectly, it may ruin the chances of his other feature runner, Pentathon, in the $120,000 Warrnambool Cup (2350m).

Stable foreman Brett Scott yesterday said the Wheeler camp would wait to see what the day was going to be like  before making a call on Pentathon.

``We have to make the call by 8am,'' Scott said.

``If it's dead or better he'll run but if we get a similar night to last night he may miss. My gut feeling at this stage is he's doubtful.

``He's won on slow going but that was when he was going through his classes. We've given him a couple of runs on the slow recently and he was only average. We just have to wait and see.''

While Pentathon could miss, Mount Gambier trainer Michael O'Leary will run the highly rated Solitas come rain, hail or shine.

A winner of the Stawell Cup over 2000 metres two weeks ago, Solitas will be ridden by top jockey Wayne Hokai, who has appealed a 10-meeting suspension with an eye to riding the five-year-old in the cup.

While O'Leary has been winning at Warrnambool for more than 40 years, the Warrnambool Cup has largely eluded the trainer with his only success in the race coming in 1990 with Down The Pitch.

``It's 41 years since I won my first race at the Warrnambool carnival,'' he said.

``But I've hardly had a runner in the cup. I've set him (Solitas) especially for this race. He's won over 2500m before.

``He won the Stawell Cup pretty comfortable. He's won an Ararat Cup. He ran a very good second at Werribee, he's won a Casterton Cup.

``There's no doubt he will run out the trip. He's done plenty of work, he's drawn perfectly, he's spot on.''

South-west hopes lie with the Bill Wilde-trained iron horse Badger's Wood, which has started to return to some of his best form in recent runs.

Amazingly, Badger's Wood is still a maiden at his home track, having 10 starts for just three thirds but there will be no more popular victory should he break through here and a wet track would suit.

Wilde said Badger's Wood would have the blinkers back on today.

``He probably had the blinkers on for his first 40 starts and we just decided to take them off this campaign,'' he said.

``I noticed with his run at Moonee Valley he was looking around a bit. He still ran on well for third.

``We'll put the blinkers on him to sharpen him up a bit. He's an old horse, we'll keep him guessing a bit.

``He's drawn nicely and this bit of rain won't do him any harm.''

Another local set for a bold showing is Patrick McKenna's Wild Classic.

The more rain the better for the seven-year-old, which boasts a record of nine wins and five placings from his runs on slow to heavy ground.
Hamilton trainer Noel Ferguson will saddle up Rockology.

The eight-year-old has been consistently running in country cups throughout the region. Like Wild Classic, he will appreciate a bit of give in the ground.

Leading jockey Darren Gauci will take the ride on the Colin Little-trained topweight Rubijon.

The four-year-old is another wet-track specialist, yet to be unplaced in his six runs on slow ground or worse.

Expect Frances Houlahan's Hamilton Cup winner Forest Knight to give a bold showing.

The five-year-old has been given another run since the win at Hamilton and will be cherry ripe to put in another strong effort here.